Lap-head condenser.



T. OGONNELL.

LAP HEAD CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1913.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHOTD-LITMO. WASNINGIUN. Dv C.

50 plates UNITED, sra'rns rATENT OFFICE.

TIMOTHY OCONNELL, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE W'HITINMACHINE WORKS, OE WHITINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

LAP-HEAD CONDENSER.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

Application filed June 7, 1913. Serial No. 772,224,,

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY OCoNNnLL,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of l-Iolyoke, in thecounty of Hampden and 5 State of lvlassachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Lap- Head Condensers, of which thefollowing is a speclfication.

such laps superposed are to be wound into compactly layered rolls forsubsequent operations, as for further drawing, combing and the llke.

The objects are, to provide means additional to the drawing orcompressing rolls to smooth or iron the surface of the lap so as toavoid the liability of adhesion] between successive layers in the roll,so that the same.

can be unwound without damage either to the unwound layer or adjacentstrata, further objects being to provide means whereby the pressing,smoothing or ironing effect is readily adjustable to the thickness ofthe sliver and the degree of compression desired to impart to it, aswell as to provide a construction that is appli :able to existingmachines without entailing expensive changes therein or the addition ofextra parts. These and other objects are attained by the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts here inafter fully described andshown in the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification,and in which Figure 1 is a partial t'ansverse sectional view of a ribbonlap machine indicating the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is apartial plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, lookingfrom the rear, of a condenser and smoothing device made in accordancewith the invention, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary viewtaken through the discharge orifice of the condenser.

The laps from the drawing rolls 10, of which there may be any desirednumber of sets, are received from the curved guide upon the polishedsurface of the metal apron 11, where they are superposed as usual andalong which the composite lap is advanced, as by rolls 12, and passedinto a smoothing device such as shown in Fig. 3,

' Where the laps are preliminarily combined and compressed, issuing fromits narrow front opening to enter between the compression rolls 13,where the ribbon formed is delivered over the breast 14 to the windingdrums 15 by which it is wound under pressure upon a spool or core 16.

The smoothing device is comprised of a body or main portion 20, formedwith a longitudinally disposed central opening 21,

adapted to receive the lap from the apron 11, its internal side wallsbeing rounded for the purpose of preventing irregular and raggedselvages and its entrance edge being sloped as indicated to provide easyaccess. On the upper side, near the ends of the main poit1on 20, areformed upstanding hinge lugs 23 registering with similar upstanding lugs24 on the upper or cover portion 25 of the smoothing device. Pins2(Spassing through thesedugs 23 and 2st, serve to pivotally connect thecover portionto the body. At the front or discharge portion, the wall ofthe cover and the opposing interior vall of the body are curved convexlyor toward each other, forming normally a narrow orifice 27 extendingclose into the bite of the rolls 13, by which rolls the lap is drawnoutwardly and discharged on the breast.

The opening in the trumpet funnel or front part of the smoothing device,including the orifice 27, is controlled by means of a lever 28 rigidlyattached to the upper cover portion 25, which can be held resilientlydown under any desired pressure by the coiled spring 29 disposed betweenthe upper surface of the body 20 and the overhanging portion 30 of thelever 28; this spring is tensionally adjustable by means of the screw 31passing through the lever 30, where it is provided with a lock nut 32,while its other end engages with the spring 29 and forms a thrustabutment therefor; a handle extension of the lever 30 provides aconvenient means for temporarily widely opening the orifice 27, which isdesirable to do when piecing. The same handle provides means whereby thedevice in its entirety may be lifted and removed from the machine, forcleaning or any other purpose, it being understood that the said deviceis adapted to rest on the end of the apron 11, remaining in place by itsown gravity. It is hence readily adaptable to existing machines.

To prevent contact of the discharge end with the condensing rolls 13,any suitable form of stop device may be provided, as, for instance, alip or ridge formed on or attached to the end of the apron 11.

It will be understood that all the interior parts of the condenser aremade smooth andhighly polished so as to avoid impedingthe passage of theribbon therethrough; also that the rolls 13 may be substituted bydrawing rolls for attenuating the lap, if desired.

From the foregoing it will be evident that this invention provideseffective means for so smoothing or surface calendering the ribbon orlap that the tendency of the layers in the roll to cling or adhere toeach other is greatly reduced, when the lap roll formed therefrom isunwound; that therefore the quality of workis enhanced and loss inproportion caused b split laps, prevented.

Having 'describe my invention and ascertained. its use, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination in a lap winding machine having an apron, of asectional lap smoothing device placed thereon and means combinedtherewith whereby the comprised sections are yieldingly pressed togetherat the point of delivery.

2. The combination in a lap winding machine, of a lap smoothing devicecomprising two main sections providing a long and narrow opening betweenthem and means for yieldingly constraining the sections toward eachother to constrict such opening.

3. In a lap winding. machine, the combination with one or more pairs ofcom pression rolls, of a lap smoothing device having va normally narrowdischarge outlet, and including a movable smoothing member and means forresiliently controlling said movable member.

and an apron on which the laps therefrom are superposed of a smoothingdevice adapted .to recelve the superposed laps and comprising a bodyportion, a movable element,

means for resiliently pressing said movable element toward said bodyportion at the point of lap delivery and means for adjusting the degreeof pressure applied thereby to the lap.

5. In a lap winding machine, the combination with one or more pairs ofcompression rolls, of upper and lower members constituting a lapsmoothing device, one being movable relatively to the other, pivotalconnections between said members, means for holding said memberstogether under pressure, means for determinably adjusting the pressuremeans and means for temporarily overcoming said pressure means.

6. A smoothing'device comprising a cast body member formed with an inletopening of fixed area extending through its rear portion, said memberhaving a partially open top, a member hingedly connected to said bodymember, and so disposed within the open top as to form a normallynarrow, horizontally elongated, slot-like outlet conjunctively with saidbody member, means for maintaining a determinately constant pressure ofsaid hinged member toward said body member and normally operable meansfor operating the narrow outlet;

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two witnesses.

TIMOTHY OC()NI-TELL.

Vitnesses:

G. C. MILLER,

OSCAR L; .OwnN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, DC. 7 i

